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Landing on My Feet: A Diary of Dreams
Who can forget that golden moment in the 1996 Summer Olympics when athlete Kerri Strug completed her final vault that helped the US win its first-ever team gymnastics gold medal? It was a crowd pleaser that resonated around the world. In this fascinating autobiography, now available in paperback, Kerri Strug comes to life as the brave young gymnast who struggled for years in the shadows of flashier athletes, then secured her place in the Olympic pantheon for her brilliant success under fire. Throughout the pages of this engaging book, the 88-pound, 4-foot 9-inch Strug seems larger than life as she follows her own personal dream. From her home in Tucson, Arizona, where she entered her first competition at age eight, to tenacious training with coaches in Texas, Florida, Oklahoma, and Colorado, Strug pursues her gymnastic goal with guts and determination. The book also provides a lengthy, detailed you were there glimpse into the Olympic experience -- from the trials to arriving in Atlanta.
191 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 1997
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
September 21, 2012
OK - so this is funny! This is not the book I heard about from Good Housekeeping. There is a new book 'Off Balance', written by Dominique Moceanu, Kerri Strug's teammate, which came out this year, which was the book I heard about.
I got to the library and saw this book, and thought it was the book I wanted to read - but it is 15 years old, written the year after the 1996 Olympics! It was a very interesting read, glad I read it (by accident)!
What shocked me the most about reading Kerri's book is how many horrible injuries she endured between the ages of 12 and 18. It made me wonder how many Olympic Gymnasts are in this boat, injured time and again. I wonder how that might affect their bodies as adults or senior citizens.
I was also shocked by how isolated she was while in training, how the coaches hovered over every bite of food she took, and didn't allow her to attend her father's 50th Birthday party (she might eat cake!). I can't imagine allowing this to continue as a parent! I certainly hope the training that goes on nowadays isn't as militaristic as this.
I got to the library and saw this book, and thought it was the book I wanted to read - but it is 15 years old, written the year after the 1996 Olympics! It was a very interesting read, glad I read it (by accident)!
What shocked me the most about reading Kerri's book is how many horrible injuries she endured between the ages of 12 and 18. It made me wonder how many Olympic Gymnasts are in this boat, injured time and again. I wonder how that might affect their bodies as adults or senior citizens.
I was also shocked by how isolated she was while in training, how the coaches hovered over every bite of food she took, and didn't allow her to attend her father's 50th Birthday party (she might eat cake!). I can't imagine allowing this to continue as a parent! I certainly hope the training that goes on nowadays isn't as militaristic as this.
January 3, 2012
This is one of my friend Carol's favorite books. It had a sort of interesting charm, but it definitely made me see that professional athletics would not be for me!
February 14, 2018
What a difference to see how the relationship with Kerri and the Karolyis was comparing it with Moceanu.
March 12, 2018
Absolutely loved this book!
As a girl at the tender age of 10, I watched with wide eyed wonder the Magnificent Seven perform in the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. Their performance essentially got me excited for gymnastics and the Olympic experience. I now faithfully watch the summer Olympics each time they are on television.
This book describes Strug's rise to the top through much frustration. This was an easy read, and I felt as if I was listening to a friend or sister describe their experience. There wasn't too much focused on the negative or too much on the positive. There was a good mixture of both.
As a girl at the tender age of 10, I watched with wide eyed wonder the Magnificent Seven perform in the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. Their performance essentially got me excited for gymnastics and the Olympic experience. I now faithfully watch the summer Olympics each time they are on television.
This book describes Strug's rise to the top through much frustration. This was an easy read, and I felt as if I was listening to a friend or sister describe their experience. There wasn't too much focused on the negative or too much on the positive. There was a good mixture of both.
July 5, 2017
Who can forget that moment when women's USA Gymnastics brought home gold in 1996? Kerri had set goals and worked for them for years, but who knew all the struggles that she went through to get to that point. Wonderfully written auto-biography.
February 20, 2021
I am a huge fan of athlete biographies - especially if they are autobiographies. I definitely recommend this book for any current or ex athlete (from any sport) who needs to be encouraged or remember the passion in found in competing.
July 12, 2021
Though 25 years of hindsight have made parts of this book heartbreaking to read, it was a well written book by a young lady who - even through many setbacks and injuries - accomplished so much and became a household name.
November 18, 2017
Very interesting. Injuries, eating disorders, and tough coaches. The usual gymnastics memoir fodder.
May 13, 2018
Great story-easy to read
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April 18, 2022Kerri strug has the american olympic gymnastics
We came read a book
We came read a book
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 30, 2024
Short and nothing more than a puff piece. Lol.
November 29, 2015
Kerri Strug is one of my favorite athletes in the entire world. In 1996, she won the gold for the United States, women's, Olympic gymnastics team. This story entertains the readers by informing the journey Strug took to follow her dreams. I, myself, could never fit those shoes. Strug was around my age when she left home to train with the best (27) as well as gave up all of her free time (31). On top of all of that was school work that you could never escape. She makes all of this seem easy which is something I could not handle. It makes me wonder how someone so young could want a dream this much. I hope to someday follow my dreams with as much perseverance and determination as Strug did.
In Landing on My Feet: A Diary of Dreams, Strug consistently stresses the theme: there is always more to strive for. This is one phrase that the human species actually performs well. Technology, for example, is being manipulated everyday to make life easier. An engineer would not quit his/her work when something does not go there way. They would try and try again until they found the solution. Strug best exhibits this when she makes history (167-169). After performing a bad run on the vault, she was in excruciating pain. She could have walked away a two-time Olympian, but she did not. She brushed herself off and tried again hitting every detail. In the end, she stuck the landing scoring a 9.712 out of`10 to win the first ever, women's, Olympic gold medal for the United States (169). This event shows she had what it took to win and follow her dream. That extra step not only won the gold for her but her teammates and country as well. Today, the world is too lazy to get up and follow a dream. I hope to someday defy this idea false. I would be lucky if half of her determination and humble character rubbed off on me. If others could look up to me as I do Strug, then I know I would be doing something right.
The style of Landing on My Feet: A Diary of Dreams is narration- the telling of a story through a series of events that describes what happen in chronological order. The story begins with an example of foreshadowing the day Strug made history (XI-XVI). From there, it begins with her as a young girl and her growing love for gymnastics. She is about to have a birthday party and plans to watch the Nadia Comaneci movie with all of her friends (1-2). The story continues with her life surrounding the sport and sacrificing nearly everything to do it. In the end, she wins more than her wildest dreams. With the exception of flashbacks and examples of foreshadowing, everything is in chronological order. To me, everything was clearly identified and explained. I truly believe anyone could read this story and clearly understand it. If not, I would happily explain this incredible dream come true.
As I have mentioned before, Kerri Strug is one of my favorite athletes. This book she wrote with Lopez is absolute perfection. In messy situations, she clearly explained what she was feeling and how she over came the obstacles. She would call and see family every couple of weeks to help with her homesickness (43). It would get to the point of tears sometimes and was a struggle Strug always had; though, she never let it interfere with training. The explanation of the different tricks were always in great detail. An explanation of the famous Yurchenko (the move Strug did to win the 1996 Olympic gold medal) was clearly explained from beginning to end (167-169). It would not make any sense unless you knew the basic gymnastic terms. For me, it was easy to follow and understand. I especially loved the idea of the "triangle" (27). This was between the gym, school, and the host family. If it was ever out of balance, then Strug would have to stop training at Karoyli's gym. I think this system would work well for me. Like this system, I loved all aspects of this book. There was nothing I would change since this story is perfection. I have ready other autobiographies before but nothing like this. I would recommend this to anyone that is having trouble following a dream. Hopefully, it will be as helpful as it has been to me.
In Landing on My Feet: A Diary of Dreams, Strug consistently stresses the theme: there is always more to strive for. This is one phrase that the human species actually performs well. Technology, for example, is being manipulated everyday to make life easier. An engineer would not quit his/her work when something does not go there way. They would try and try again until they found the solution. Strug best exhibits this when she makes history (167-169). After performing a bad run on the vault, she was in excruciating pain. She could have walked away a two-time Olympian, but she did not. She brushed herself off and tried again hitting every detail. In the end, she stuck the landing scoring a 9.712 out of`10 to win the first ever, women's, Olympic gold medal for the United States (169). This event shows she had what it took to win and follow her dream. That extra step not only won the gold for her but her teammates and country as well. Today, the world is too lazy to get up and follow a dream. I hope to someday defy this idea false. I would be lucky if half of her determination and humble character rubbed off on me. If others could look up to me as I do Strug, then I know I would be doing something right.
The style of Landing on My Feet: A Diary of Dreams is narration- the telling of a story through a series of events that describes what happen in chronological order. The story begins with an example of foreshadowing the day Strug made history (XI-XVI). From there, it begins with her as a young girl and her growing love for gymnastics. She is about to have a birthday party and plans to watch the Nadia Comaneci movie with all of her friends (1-2). The story continues with her life surrounding the sport and sacrificing nearly everything to do it. In the end, she wins more than her wildest dreams. With the exception of flashbacks and examples of foreshadowing, everything is in chronological order. To me, everything was clearly identified and explained. I truly believe anyone could read this story and clearly understand it. If not, I would happily explain this incredible dream come true.
As I have mentioned before, Kerri Strug is one of my favorite athletes. This book she wrote with Lopez is absolute perfection. In messy situations, she clearly explained what she was feeling and how she over came the obstacles. She would call and see family every couple of weeks to help with her homesickness (43). It would get to the point of tears sometimes and was a struggle Strug always had; though, she never let it interfere with training. The explanation of the different tricks were always in great detail. An explanation of the famous Yurchenko (the move Strug did to win the 1996 Olympic gold medal) was clearly explained from beginning to end (167-169). It would not make any sense unless you knew the basic gymnastic terms. For me, it was easy to follow and understand. I especially loved the idea of the "triangle" (27). This was between the gym, school, and the host family. If it was ever out of balance, then Strug would have to stop training at Karoyli's gym. I think this system would work well for me. Like this system, I loved all aspects of this book. There was nothing I would change since this story is perfection. I have ready other autobiographies before but nothing like this. I would recommend this to anyone that is having trouble following a dream. Hopefully, it will be as helpful as it has been to me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 24, 2016
It's 20 years to the day since Kerri Strug's famous 1996 vault in the Atlanta Olympics. This is a very straightforwardly-written account of Kerri Strug's gymnastics career from the early days to that vault, and slightly beyond. We hear about her struggles with injuries, attitude to food and coaching changes, and get to see what she was thinking during her first failed vault and the second one that catapulted her to fame, and while she was being carried out to the podium to receive her medal.
She's generally positive about Bela and Marta Karolyi, who coached her into both Olympic teams, but then she had a lot of support from her own family who put their foot down about too much pressure. As a contrast I skimmed through Dominique Moceanu's autobiography which is more complex and negative about the Karolyis. Her Romanian parents were completely in the Karolyis' thrall and she had no recourse. So the book is a good counter-balance. Also there is a slightly different attitude towards the famous Strug vault. Moceanu argues that her vaults, though poor, had already given the US enough points to stay ahead of the Russian team, who ultimately took second.
Still, that doesn't detract from the courage it took to complete Strug's successful second vault - urged to take it by her coaches (she definitely thought at the time that it was necessary), knowing that pain and injury lay ahead, she went ahead and did it, and will be forever remembered for it now.
Overall: quick read and worth it.
She's generally positive about Bela and Marta Karolyi, who coached her into both Olympic teams, but then she had a lot of support from her own family who put their foot down about too much pressure. As a contrast I skimmed through Dominique Moceanu's autobiography which is more complex and negative about the Karolyis. Her Romanian parents were completely in the Karolyis' thrall and she had no recourse. So the book is a good counter-balance. Also there is a slightly different attitude towards the famous Strug vault. Moceanu argues that her vaults, though poor, had already given the US enough points to stay ahead of the Russian team, who ultimately took second.
Still, that doesn't detract from the courage it took to complete Strug's successful second vault - urged to take it by her coaches (she definitely thought at the time that it was necessary), knowing that pain and injury lay ahead, she went ahead and did it, and will be forever remembered for it now.
Overall: quick read and worth it.
May 10, 2015
Three stars. Nothing particularly fantastic about this book, but Kerri Strug's memoir about her life as one of America's top gymnasts of the 1990s was an easy, likable read. Unlike many other gymnastics memoirs, Strug, for the most part, managed to stay down to earth and never lost her love for her sport. She seemed truly grateful for all of her coaches and never said anything bad about her teammates or rivals. Though she battled a bit of disordered eating and many nearly career-ending injuries, her single-minded focus on obtaining her Olympic dream remained steadfast and kept within a realistic scope. She attributes her successes to hard work and discipline and remained the only 1996 Olympic gymnastic team member who decided to keep her amateur status so she could compete for her first choice college, UCLA. A solid read for major gymnastics fans.
August 1, 2012
Wow! After just reading Dominique Moceanu's book what a difference. Dominique was forced into gymnastics and hated Bela and her family. Kerri loved Bela and was devastated when he retired. He got her to two Olympic Games. She had the personality and the drive. Kerri had a tight relationship with a very supportive family. But both have gold medals to show for it.
August 27, 2013
Non-fiction. Gymnast in Atlanta Olympics in 1996. Hurt her leg but won team Gold for the team. Amazing how many sacrifices these girls make for gymnastics. Leave their homes and live with foster families, spend 8 hours a day in the gym...
December 6, 2021
Wow, does this ever read differently in present-day. As a longtime gymnastics fan I watched the 1996 team win gold, and I have since observed the abusive culture that was so prevalent in women's gymnastics be brought to light. This book is a product of its time.
December 21, 2012
Was interesting to compare this book to the one written by Dominique Moceanu titled Off Balance: A Memoir. Both ladies viewed the training methods of Bela and Marta Karolyi differently.
May 12, 2013
somewhat repetitive and jumps around but overall pretty good!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 19, 2013
Timeless story of someone reaching for their goal.
January 6, 2015
This is the story of Kerri Strug. The USA Gymnastic Olympian who stuck a vault with a broken ankle to win the USA women's team Gold in 1996. Amazing story of overcoming lots of obstacles.
May 25, 2015
Inspiring story about everything a young gymnast went through to make the Olympic team and all she overcame.
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August 8, 2015book
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews